Gulfstream Park will offer the biggest and richest stakes schedule in the track’s storied history during the 2012-2013 Sseason which opens on Dec. 1 and continues through April 8, 2013, track officials announced on Tuesday.

Gulfstream will offer 61 stakes, 33 of which are graded, valued at more than $10.1 million. The schedule will be highlighted by the $1 million, Grade 1 Florida Derby, a key Kentucky Derby prep, to be run on March 30 as the main event on a stellar program that will include five other graded stakes.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Blessed by tremendous weather and, for the most part, large fields, Saratoga enjoyed increases in handle and attendance through the first week of the meet, compared to 2011.

Ontrack handle for the first four days was $12,731,605, up 14.2 percent from the $11,146,737 wagered last year.

All-sources handle, which includes wagers on Saratoga both ontrack and from simulcast outlets, was $63,688,669, up 12.3 percent from $56,688,557 last year.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Lunar Victory made a successful return to the races Monday at Saratoga, winning the $100,000 Evan Shipman Stakes for New York-breds by 2 1/2 lengths.

In his first start since March 3, Lunar Victory sparred with Johannesburg Smile through sharp early fractions before opening up turning for home. Though Lunar Victory began to idle late, he easily held off Sailmate, who finished second by 1 1/2 lengths over Johannesburg Smile.

DEL MAR, Calif. – He has Liaison scheduled to run at Saratoga on Saturday in the Jim Dandy and Paynter scheduled to run on Sunday in the Haskell at Monmouth Park, but trainer Bob Baffert will be remaining here at Del Mar, where he got off to a fast start with two stakes wins opening week and will be looking to add more this weekend.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Lucinda Mandella stood on a balcony overlooking the Del Mar paddock early on Sunday morning, watching one of her husband Gary’s horses as it walked toward the track for exercise.

Such mornings have been commonplace for the 38-year-old Mandella for more than a decade – as Gary’s wife, a former executive with the Thoroughbred Owners of California, and, for the last 18 months, as the executive director of the California Retirement Management Account, or CARMA, a non-profit that seeks funding for retired racehorses.

DEL MAR, Calif. – An outstanding U.S. debut by Argentinian import Suggestive Boy, runner-up in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile, makes him a solid favorite Wednesday at Del Mar in the $85,000 Wickerr Stakes at a mile on turf.

Though he won four Group 1’s in South America, drops in class Wednesday, and has established California form, Suggestive Boy will have his hands full against a good field in the Wickerr.

[Complete coverage of racing at Del Mar: News, PPs, and video]

There will be a public memorial service held Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame for Richard Hamilton, a longtime steward for the New York Racing Association, who died on April 18. He was 76.

After he left his job as steward in 1995, Hamilton served as communications officer at the museum.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Last summer, trainer Tom Bush was inadvertently among those not informed when a decision was first made to make the Oklahoma turf course available at a special time for horses preparing for Grade 1 stakes. The unfortunate omission came just one week before the Bush-trained Get Stormy was scheduled to run in defense of his title in the Grade 1 Fourstardave.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The imposing speedster Jenna’s Wabbit will negotiate seven furlongs Wednesday night at Woodbine in the $125,000 Deputy Minister. Despite carrying 128 pounds, he should be odds-on in the stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Riding the River was moving into uncharted territory in stretching out to 1 1/8 miles on the turf for this past Sunday’s $322,200 Nijinsky Stakes. But Dave Cotey, who trains the 5-year-old Riding the River and owns the gelding in partnership with Hugh Galbraith and Jim McNair, had been reasonably confident that the gelding would handle the distance.

“I thought he would because of the way he got 1 1/16 miles on the Polytrack, around two turns, as a 3-year-old,” said Cotey. “Usually, you can stretch a little on the turf.”